Rio de Janeiro: Taxi drivers immobilise city, protest against Uber

Taxi drivers across major cities in Brazil, had declared war on Uber taxi services months.

November 12, 2015 13:51 IST

Hundreds of taxi drivers took to the streets in Rio de Janeiro to protest against rival company Uber, bringing the city to a standstill.

Many of the taxi drivers were seen throwing eggs at hotels and resorts that offer Uber taxi rides to guests.

Some of the protestors stood in front of certain hotels and city centres â€” the taxi stands where customers rely on Uber vehicles to commute around the city. During the morning rush hour, protestors also blocked seven major hotspots across the city, according to an IANS report.

The protestors demanded banning of Uber taxi services.

During the later part of the day, the taxi drivers joined forces and marched to the town hall of Rio de Janeiro.

Last month, the Mayor Eduardo Paes had signed a law banning Uber, IANS reported. On 9 October, a judge overturned the decision on grounds of violating the constitutional right to free enterprise. The judge in her ruling stated that "state cannot prohibit a legal-economic activity, open to private enterprise and fair competition", reported Latino Fox News.

"Those who prevent Uber drivers from working in the city (Rio de Janeiro) will be subject to fines up to 50,000 Reais" (approximately $13,000), the judge further said, according to Latino Fox News.

Taxi drivers across major cities in Brazil had declared war on Uber taxi services months ago. There have also been reports of violence and kidnappings.